Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes struck sprint gold at the European Championships on a historic night for Britain, writes Alex Spink in Berlin.

Never had the nation won both 100 metre titles before Asher-Smith scorched to glory - then ex-boyfriend Hughes repeated the trick.

In a golden half-hour, Asher-Smith smashed her own British record to win in 10.85 seconds - a time good enough to have won the world title in London last summer.

Asher-Smith won 200m gold at 2016 Euros in Amsterdam (Image: Getty)

Hughes had to work harder to dispatch team-mate Reece Prescod, pipping him by 0.01secs to snatch the men’s crown in a championship record 9.95secs.

“I knew I had it in me and I did everything right,” said Asher-Smith. “I said to myself 'I'm here to win, I'm not taking any less’. To run a 10.8 in the championships is a big deal. I’m going to let myself enjoy the emotional high and then I’ll refocus."

Dynamo Dina, winner of 200m gold at the last Euros in Amsterdam, finished ahead of home favourite Gina Lückenkemper (10.98) with Dafne Schippers third and rookie Brit Imana-Lara Lansiquot (11.14) a creditable sixth.

But the Kent flyer was not about to rest on her laurels, declaring: “I'm only one third of the way there. The 200m I have to take like another championship, it's a completely clean slate.”

Incredibly, Asher-Smith, a kit box carrier at London 2012, broke her foot only 18 months ago. In an Olympic Stadium touched by the genius of Jesse Owens and Usain Bolt before her, she was unstoppable.